Device for expanding lens openings



Nov. 18, 1952 E, H T 2,618,184

DEVICE FOR EXPANDING LENS OPENINGS Filed Sept. 29, 1949 H M L i w w. .v m m D r I D WI 5 S v Q 9w HIMM 1M. QQ. m .2 W .m S {i Q 5 H m g a mw, nmw Rm FTTORNE/ tors needs.

Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for expandinglens openings in eyeglass frames. It is particularly desirable to have a device with a controlled expansion in accordance with the opera- It is also desirable to have a device with removable and exchangeable lens opening expanding members so that said device can be adapted for use with a wide variety of shapes of lens openings.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for the expansion of lens openings which has an easily adjustable control means for said an pan'sion.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device for expanding lens openings which has removable and exchangeable lens opening expanding members to adapt said device for use with various shaped lens openings.

It is still another object of this invention to provide 'a device with oscillatable members for expanding lens openings so that the stress on the frame will be evenly distributed.

It is more particularly an object of this invention to provide a device having in combination, a pair of levers pivotally connected and provided with handles, a jaw carried by each lever, said jaws adapted to be used as lens opening-'expanders, a pin secured in each jaw, a lens opening expanding member oscillatably and removably secured to each pin, and the means for adjustably controlling the expansion of said device.-

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the applicants device in front Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section taken on line 66 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows, with a part broken away and shown on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, a device for expanding the lens openings in eyeglass frames is shown in Fig. 1 comprising a pair of levers Ill and H. Said levers can be made of any suitable material, preferably such material as aluminum which is light in weight. Said levers are provided with lug portions I 0a and Ha respectively of reduced thickness outwardly of lines He. Said lug portions are shown as having rounded ends. As shown in Fig. 5, said lugs are arranged in superposed relation and anti-friction washers I4 are disposed between said superposed portions of lugs Ilia and Na. A headed screw l5 extends through lug portion lea and is threaded into lug portion Ha. Said screw passes through washers [4. Screw l5 has its rounded head countersunk into the lug I la.

Thus levers I0 and II are pivotally connected by said screw l5 and are swingable about the axis thereof. Said levers l0 and H have handle portions 10d and lid respectively of slightly reduced cross section being slightly curved with their convex sides outwardly. Handle portions Id and lld are enclosed in tubular coverings 16 preferably made of yielding and resilient mate rial. The outer sides of members it are substantially flush with the respective surfaces of members I0 and II.

A thumb screw I8 is threaded into and extends through lever I I adjacent the handle portion I Id, the same having a head 18a. A pin I9 is threaded into lever in from the inner side thereof adjacent the handle 10d. Screw l8 and pin I9 extend transversely of levers l6 and H and are in substantial axial alignment. Said screws have their inwardly exposed portions disposed in a coiled compression spring 20, the ends of which engage the inner sides of levers l0 and l 1 respectively.

Said levers have at their upper ends jaw portions Ill) and I If. The inner sides of said jaw 'of said jaw portions in any suitable manner, as

by being threaded therein. Said pins project approximately perpendicularly to the top surfaces of said jaw portions and project a'short distance thereabove. Each pin 23 is provided at one side with a cylindrical bore 23a. Disposed in the bottom portion of each bore is a small coiled 'compression spring 25, the outer side of which engages a ball 21 disposed in said bore and held therein by the inwardly turned edges of said bore.

Adapted to be respectively placed and removand 29 have engaging surfaces which are respec- 4 tively convex in a generally vertical direction but are rectilinear in horizontal direction.

In operation the lens opening expanding members are first placed on said jaws Hlfand I Ij'respectively, as shown in Fig. l, and the same are frictionally held in position by said pins 23 and balls 21. The thumb screw is is then" adjusted to allow the amount ofexpansion of said membersas; is desired by the operator. The :extent iojf: the:-expansion of-said members is fixed by the rspace'between the inwardly-exposed ends of said "thumb screw 18 and :pin' i9. Said end surfaces :move toward each-other when the handles of the device-are moved toward each other, thereby expanding or separating the members 28 and 29.

.The device is then held 'by vthehandle portions "andzthe members :28 and 29 are positionedin the ..lens opening of the eyeglass frame andsubstan- .i-ially fit. therein. The-opposite ends of the frame about-the lens opening it nicely in the grooves .281) .and 29b. The eyeglass frame has been prepared previously for expansion by beingheated to the proper degree of temperature. As the .handlesof thedevice are pressed toward'each o.ther,;the members 28 and 29 are separated, the frame :is stretched .and the lens opening is expanded. The grooves 281) and 29b prevent ,movement. of the frame transversely thereof.

v.terchangeable tofit and-properlyexpand various :types. andshapes :of lens openings. Fen-an ordi- :naryttyneof lens opening, the jaws l0) and |.lf;of asaldxlevice-may be used insteadofthe members ;28:and;.2.9. The frame will beplacedin-the groovesfllg and Hg and theroperation-isasrdescribed.

'Ihus it is seen that Ihaveprovideid-a :very isimple-and vhighly'efiicient lens opening expandingdevice. By the use of this device, lens openings of many shapes may be easily and quickly expanded. In the use of this device all chance .ofinjury to eyeglass frames in the lens opening -expan ding operation is eliminated. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice :andfound to .be very successfuland efiicientin :operation and it is .now being commerciallymade.

.It will of .course be understood that various 1changesmay be made in the form, details, ar-

rangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention. 40

which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for expanding the lens openings of an eyeglass frame having in combination, a pair of levers pivotally connected intermediate their ends respectively having handle portions at one end and jaw portions at the other end, a securing .means in each jaw having axesextendi'ng longitudinally of said levers; alens opening expanding member frictionally held on each securing means,

said members having a periphery with an arcshaped groove in the outer sides thereof, said lens opening expanding members adapted to be received in said lens openings, said groove adapted to .be disposed substantially about the inner edge portion of said lens openings transversely thereof, said members being oscillatable about the axes of said securing means respectively whereby said members are readily-adapted to be accommodatedto the curvature of thejinner edge portion of said lens openings-so as tozsecure a large contact with said frames.

' 2. ,A device forexpanding the lensopeningszof anreyeglass frame having in combination, ;a;pair

of levers pivotally connected intermediate their ends respectively havinghandle portions atone end and jaw portions at the other end, meansto limit the separation of said jawportionsgpins respectively extending upwardly from each .of

said jaw portions, said pins respectivelyhaving lower threaded portions removably securedin said jaw portions, a cylindrical .and transverseibore provided in thersidezofeachgofsaid pins; a; spring disposed in each .of said bores, a ball engaging said spring and projecting slightly vbeyonjd:.the periphery of each of said pinsand. secured therein, a pair of lens opening expanding members having openings for receiving said pins respectively andfrictionally held .on said pins by said balls respectively, :said. lens opening .aexpanding members respectively having an. outer periphery having a groove thereabout concave in cross section, said groove being adapted to be disposed substantially transversely about the inner edge portionsof said lens openings, :saidlens opening expanding'members beingoscillatably held by said pins whereby saidmembers will;readily accommodate themselves .to the curvature .of :the

inner; edge .POIfiOIlSiDfSflid lens openings andrwill engage the greatest possible length thereof.

.EDWARD .G. GOEDHART.

(REFERENCES-CITED The following references are of record in-the "file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France May .28, .1929 

